I am 33… I will be 34 in November. I went to a very good private high school and was average there. I got into Seton Hall University and it was the only school I applied to. I went there for a few semesters. I did horrible there, mostly because I was partying and not very serious. I took a few years off, took some classes at community college, and then went back in 2005. I did alright, but stopped going. Now that I have life experience, I want to get my Ph.D, but find it difficult to get back into school… I have financial problems, legal problems, and overall I feel like it would be impossible to get back to the academic status I once had. I’m broke and I feel it would be impossible for me to get any scholarships, grants, or any form of financial aid. I know whats expected of me if and when I go back to school, but knowing the things I know now about life, I feel it would be very difficult to fit in to the culture. I feel that could sit here all day and write dissertations and research topics, but it won’t do me any good without the knowledge I’d get from the academic experience. Does anyone have any recommendations? How do I get the confidence back that I once had? How do I bypass the many obstacles sitting between me and my degree/s?
Were you in good standing (2.0 or better) when you left college? Do you owe colleges any money (which would prevent them from releasing your course transcripts until you pay what you owe)? To get your confidence back, it seems like it would be good for you to enroll at a local college or community college for a single class and see how you do.
I had like a 1.9, and no, I defaulted on a loan. They won’t release my transcripts. Do you think I’d be better off starting from scratch? I thought about the community college thing, but I didn’t really learn that much last time I was there and my ego is telling me that going from a university to a community college is a regression. I’d feel like a failure going there, basically, even though I probably should start off there. Its about the education and getting what I pay for… I know that you get what you pay for and paying for good classes means I’d be in good hands, so to speak. I’m not all that against it, but its a very VERY last option for me. I want to go to a good school again.
I don’t think you can start from scratch, especially if you are applying for aid.
I was taking college level classes in high school and now I feel like a failure for not finishing in the first place. How am I supposed to apply credits from 15 years ago to an academic career thats filled with gaps, loops, holes, and everything in between?